Cyrus l



`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CYRUS L. CARTER ANI) ELEAZER JONES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COFFIN.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 28,451, dated May 29, 1860.

To all whom itmafl/ concern:

Be it known that we, OYRUS L. CARTER and ELEAZER J oNEs, both of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Coffins, the construction and operation of which we have described in the following specification and illustrated in its accompanying drawings with sufficient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use our invention.

Our said invention consists in: first, the arrangement hereinafter described of slabs of slate, stone, marble, or other similar material, formed with grooves in the manner hereinafter more fully set forth, to allow them to be joined together so as to form a coffin with perfectly tight joints; in combination with metallic braces or angle irons which tit into the internal solid angles formed by the junction of the slabs, and to which the latter are secured with screws so as to keep them in position, as hereinafter' more fully set forth; second, in combining with the coffin a glass plate, rabbeted and cemented into, and supported by the sides, and so connected to or cemented upon the angle irons beneath into which the screws enter for securing the lid, that the entire lid of the coffin may be raised without allowing the escape of efliuvia from the corpse, as here inafter morefully set forth.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows: Figure l is a plan of the coffin with the lid removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the lid in position. Fig. 3 is a plan of the upper surface of the lid. Fig. 4 is a. plan to a larger scale, showing the manner of joining the. sides and ends. Fig. 5 is a vertical section, showing on a larger scale, the junction of the lid with one of the ends. Fig. 6 is also a vertical section, showing on a larger scale the junction of the bottom and ends. Fig. 7 shows to a larger scale, the manner of joining the two portions of each side at the broadest part or shoulder of the coffin.

In the format-ion of the grooves and rabbets at the lines of junction of the several parts of our device, our object has been to secure perfectly tight joints with the least amount of labor; thus instead of providing a groove and tongue for each line of junction, we provide in some places a groove only, and in other places a grooveand rabhet; the only instance in which a groove and tongue is employed being at the shoulders of the coffin. Thus the sides A and ends B are attached by means of a groove and rabbet, as shown in Fig. 4;; the lid C and end B are also attached by a groove and rabbet, as shown in Fig. 5; the bottom D is let into a groove formed in the sides and ends, and of a depth equal to the full thickness of the bottom, as shown in Fig. 6, by which means we preserve the full strength of the bottom unimpaired; and lastly, we join, bymeans of a groove and tongue, as shown in Fig. 7, the two portions of the side which meet at what is commonly known as the shoulder of the coffin, this being the only instance in which a groove and tongue is employed, the remaining junctions being formed of rabbets and grooves, or of grooves only. The ob ject of the babbet formed in the ends B as shown in Fig. 5, and which is also continued along the sides, is for the purpose of receiving the inner or glass cover, as will be more fully explained hereafter.

Having placed the different pieces in position as described, we introduce the lmetal braces or angle irons E, two into each solid angle formed by the meeting of three of the slabs, namely one piece at the bottom of each angle, and another at the top. These irons are composed of three plates or plane surfaces,I which are so inclined to each other that they will fit exactly into the internal solid angles of the coffin. The sides, ends, and bottom 0f the coiiin are then secured in position by being screwed to these irons with screws F, which pass into perforations made for that purpose in the plates; we also deem it advisable to surround the screw holes in the plates of the angle irons with bosses, as shown upon the figures, which bosses serve the double purpose of strengthening the plates and giving the screws a firmer hold. These screws, one of which passes into each of the three plates, will, it is evident, secure the three pieces rmly together, so that they can only be separated by withdrawing the screws, or by a rupture of the parts. Wien the bottom and sides are thus secured, similar braces are placed and secured in a similar manner in the angles formed by the junctions of the sides and ends and by the shoulders, at the upper parts of the coffin, care being taken to place these braces so that their upper surfaces Q seam will be iush with the rabbets on the sides and ends as shown in Fig. 5, by which weV erated by decomposition. The outer lid being then placed in position is screwed down upon the braces in the manner shown in Fig. 5, the glass having been previously perforated to admitrthe passa e of the screws, and the construction yis finis ed.

By this construction and arrangement a very natural wish on the part of the surviving relatives and friends to view the remains of the deceased may, at anytime, be gratified by simply removing the upper cases or lid, the glass plate serving the double purpose of allowing the remains to be looked at, and of preventing the escape of the effluvia.

We generally make the perforations for the screws in the sides, ends, and lid, of such diameter and depth as to allow the head'of the screw to pass below the surface, and we lill the cavity thus formed with cement, so as to allow the outer surface to be enameled when it is desired to do so. This part of the construction is distinctly shown in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive. We have also pro` vided a small cover I for a perforation in the lid, which may be removed at pleasure, so as to allow the face of deceased to be viewed through the glass without removing the lid. The method of constructing and fastening this cover is too obvious to be dwelt upon, and is perhaps suiiciently indicated on Fig. 2.

l/Ve are aware that coHins have been constructed of separate slabs of slate, stone, or marble, by securing them'with screws to an internal iron frame; but in this case the frame is continuous, and braces or angle irons similar to ours are not used; neither are t-he joints rendered tight by grooving as in our device. Ve therefore do not claim an internal continuous frame to which the slabs are attached, as our invention; nor

'the cover to the perforation in the lid, as

these devices have been long known and used for other purposes.

We claim as our invention, and as a new article of manufacture The cofn. above described, the slabs being connected and secured together by grooves, in combination with unconnected angle irons, and with the second or under lid formed of a glass plate, in the manner set forth.

CYRUS L. CARTER. ELEAZER JONES.

lVitnesses to the signature of C. L. Carter:

(II-nis. H. CARTER, J. HENRY PRATT. Witnesses to the signature of Eleazer Jones: y

JOHN CRUMLY, THos. P. How. 

